Wesley Corpus

I spent an hour with him very agreeably. He did not show the least touch of wild ness, but calm, rational seriousness; so that I could not but believe, it is good for him that he has seen affliction. Wed. 23.--I preached at Drumbanahur and Newry. Thursday, 24. Some friends from Dublin met us at Drogheda. In the evening we walkcd to see the place where King William passed the Boyne. It was almost a desperate attempt, considering the depth of the river, and the steep ness of the banks; but God was on his side. Near the place an handsome obelisk is erected, with an inscription, giving a brief account of that memorable action. July, 1773.] JOURNAL, 501 Fri. 25.--I went on to Dublin. I left three hundred and seventy-eight members in the society, and found four hundred and twelve, many of whom were truly alive to God. Satur day, JULY 3. I sent to the Commanding Officer, to desire leave to preach in the barracks; but he replied, he would have no innovations. No: Whoredom, drunkenness, cursing and swearing, for ever! Mon. 5.--About eleven we crossed Dublin bar, and were at Hoy-Lake the next afternoon. This was the first night I ever lay awake in my life, though I was at ease in body and mind. I believe few can say this: In seventy years I never lost one night’s sleep! In my passage I read Dr. Leland’s “History of Ireland:” --A fine writer, but unreasonably partial. I can easily believe that the Irish were originally Tartars or Scythians, though calling at Spain in their way; but not that they were a jot less barbarous than their descendants in Scotland; or that ever they were a civilized nation, till they were civilized by the English; much less, that Ireland was, in the seventh or eighth century, the grand seat of learning; that it had many famous Colleges, in one of which only, Armagh, there were seven thousand students. All this, with St. Patrick’s converting thirty thousand at one sermon, I rank with the history of “Bel and the Dragon.” I went, by moderate stages, from Liverpool to Madeley; where I arrived on Friday, 9. The next morning we went to see the effects of the late earthquake: Such it undoubtedly was.